


You're not holding yourself in your arms tonight

by MrBalkanophile



Category: Almost Human
Genre: Gen, I Don't Even Know, Just some not-random birthday present for Izu, Team as Family, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-08
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-29 15:45:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3901870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrBalkanophile/pseuds/MrBalkanophile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Kennex knows they've arrived too late at the very same moment he finds the victim's eyes.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're not holding yourself in your arms tonight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thenizu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenizu/gifts).



Kennex knows they've arrived too late at the very same moment he makes eye contact with the victim: a refined woman, he would say, although her fair hair looks sodden and ruffled and her features are distorted by fright, even from the distance. She looks at him, running towards her, and her scream disperses in the calm frenzy of a night in the Kingstons.

"Save...," is the only word echoing clear, higher than the outburst from the bomb collar on her neck a moment later; then, the punch of a giant hurls Kennex away - missing Dorian by a few inches. He can't even realize they've failed (once again), as he falls unconscious almost instantly, as the raging rumble of the blast fades.

*

Sirens summon Kennex back from the void a few minutes later. Dorian has dragged him in the entrance of a dark alley, keeping them clear from the wildfire spread from the explosion. FD's already coming, and they don't have much time left to do what they need to.

"How did you fix me?" Kennex says, noticing that he's almost unscathed.

"I didn't, you just flew backward. Not the usual explosive gadget, at a first analysis."

"Yeah, whatever, thanking God later."

"God?"

Kennex shakes his head. "Don't frown at me like that." Dorian doesn't insist.

"Sticking to the mission?"

A little scream echoes at the end of the street, in the same direction of the fire. "I guess so," he answers, already running back where the woman blew up.

*

There is a boy in the house nearest to the fire: he looks six or seven, and has fair hair and refined features hidden under a veil of haze; his eyes, frightened, are of a striking, definitely unnatural deep blue.

"He definitely looks like a Chrome," Dorian notices. Kennex doesn't reply. "And he's alive by a matter of chance. Still not going to tell me how did you know we _had_ to come here?"

Silence.

Dorian sighs. "Guess we should bring him to Delta."

"He's coming with us."

"No way."

"That was his mother."

Dorian's eyes probe him better than any scanning systems could do, then he looks at the boy, who's getting quieter even if two strangers are talking about taking him, not even asking for his opinion, a few minutes after his mum has been killed and his house half-wrecked by the same, unexplained explosion.

"So we're going to bring him home with _us_?" Back to the silence team. "Thought you trusted me, John."

"We're going to bring him home because I trust you."

Dorian tries to understand. The only thing he's sure of, this isn't some Kennex's secret son.

*

"I can't believe we just kidnapped Willie. If Stahl ever knew about this..."

"She won't."

"Captain Maldonado would..."

"She knows."

Dorian sighs, his patience systems highly stressed by Kennex's reluctance to give him answers longer than five words. Then, Kennex takes him by surprise.

"Did you just say _Willie_?"

Dorian giggles - the blond boy is sleeping on their couch, almost wallowing in Kennex's quilt. "We have got acquainted before I put him to sleep. _William Ludovic_ 's just too long for an everyday use."

"Thanks."

Dorian looks smug. "You're going to explain everything in a few days, aren't you?"

Kennex nods once, slowly, and Dorian, brushing Willie's forehead gently, looks satisfied.

*

A fair-haired couple comes at their house less than two days after. Kennex doesn't look surprised.

"Has it been that difficult to find us?" he says, calmly. Dorian stops playing with Willie, and the striking resemblance between the boy and the newcomers explains him everything.

"No," the woman replies, while tucking her hair behind her ears. "We needed to be sure no one followed us. Until that, William was safer with you."

"You should thank Dorian. I'm not a good surrogate father."

The Chromes go to the next room, and the man offers his hand to Dorian, still sitting on the floor. Dorian shakes it, then William hugs him, disorienting his emotional systems for a little less than six seconds. A few moments later, they're all gone, and Dorian stands in front of Kennex, waiting for explanations.

"It was fun to play the role of the merry family, you know?"

"If we were, we would have been a rather highly disfunctional family." Kennex sighs, uncomfortable. "I answered the call of a long-lost friend for help. They're unregistered. And they've all gone under a heavy Chrome program." Kennex shakes his head. "The less you know, the better you'll feel."

Dorian is unconvinced - he felt better with Willie around. But he squeezes Kennex's shoulder, and looks at him deep in his eyes.

And Kennex returns a feeble, yet grateful smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks liz, thanks Nee. <3


End file.
